Circuit-continuing device



,Fumev 17 E92@D H. A. DOUGLAS CIRCUIT CONTINUING DEVICE Filed April I.1921 y 7:9 J4, @mg/@S @ly/55@ Patented June 17, 1924."

HARRY A. DOUGLAS, OF BRONSON, MICHIGAN.

CIRCUIT-CONTINUING DEVICE.

Application led April 4, 1921.

tinuing Devices, -of which the following iS.

a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to circuit continuing devices employing shells withcontact .carriers therein which carry contacts adapted for engagementwith eomplemental contacts provided upon other carriers.

As I have embodied my invention the shell of such a circuit continuingdevice is also formed to enable another contact carrier to be assembledwith one end of the shell Wherebycomplemental contacts upon both contactcarriers are engaged. The invention is notto be limited, however, to a'shell carrying more than one contact carrier vas it relates particularlyto the assembly of the contact carrier that is within the shell. Ineffecting such assembly I employ a spring carried by the shell andengaging the contact carrier therein to maintain it in assembly with theshell. The spring is preferably in the form of a bar as distinguishedfrom a coil, the bar being desirably rectangular in cross section,though the invention is not to be thus limited.

In accordance with' another characteristic of the invention a springwhich is carried by the shell projects into an elongated channelprovided vin the contact carrier to permit the movement of the contactcarrier into circuit opening and closing positions.

The elongated channel is desirably arranged A transversely of thecontact carrier and the contact carrier'is preferably rotatable Withinthe shell whereby it may be changed into circuit opening and closingpositions while still being maintained inv assembly with the shell bymeans of the aforesaid spring.'

In accordance with another characteristic of the invention the shell ismade metallic and is included in circuit by means of a contact thereonwhich engages a contact upon the contact carrier Within the shell, andby turning or moving this contact carri-er the contact thereon isbrought into or out of connection with the contact upon the shell tomake or break the circuit.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation,

serial No. 458,560.

partially in section, showing a circuit continuing device constructed inaccordancei'with the preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view taken at right angles to the ldirection inwhich Fig, 1 is taken; Fig. 3 isa sectional view,

on alarger scale, on line I3 3 of Fig. 1

showing a circuit closing adjustment of the device; Fig. 4 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 3 but showing the circuit opening adjustment of thedevice; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a part of a circuitcontinuing device employing a modification; Fig. 6 is a longitudinalsectional View of apart of a circuit continuing device employing anothermodification; Fi 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 8is a sectional view on line 8--8 of Fig. 6.

Likeparts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe different figures.

Referring first more particularly to the construction shown in Figs. 1to 4 inclusive the shell 1 is metallic and carries within its.

bore an insulating contact carrier 2 and at one end it also carriesanother Contact carrier 3 which happens to be in the form of a base ofan incandescent lamp 4, though the invention is not to be thusrestricted. The incandescent lamp base 3 carries bayonet pins 5 whichare receivable within bayonet slots 6 `formed in the shell 1. Thecircuit continuing device illustrated is a socalled single poleconstruction, my invention being of particular service in connectionwith such a construction, though it is not to be limited to such anemployment.

IIn a single pole arrangement the lamp base is coupled with a. metallicsheath that constitutes one terminal of the lamp filament 7 and isincluded in circuit by engaging the metallic shell that is suitablyconnected with one terminal of a source of current that supplies thelamp. The other terminal of the filament is in the form of a contact 8upon the lamp base, this contact being engageable with a complementalcontact 9 that is provided upon the carrier 2 and is suitably connectedwith the remaining terminal of the source of current. The contact 9 ispressed into engagement with the contact 8 by means of a spring 10housed within a metallic spring barrel 11. The contact carrier 2 alsosupports alconductor 12 which is connected with a current conductingwire 13 electrically connected with the conductor 12 by the conductor 15is connected with the shell 1 as by means of a metallic spring 18 whichpreferably also serves to maintain the shell and contact carrier 2 inassembly. This spring is in the zone of contact 15. The circuit for theincandescent lamp established by the circuit continuing device includesthe wire 13, the conductor 12, the contact 9, the spring barrel 11, thewire 19, connecting the spring barrel 11 and the conductor 12, thecontact 8, the lamp iilamentv?, the metallic sheath upon the lamp base,the shell 1, the contact spring 18 and the wire 16.

ln order that .the circuit of the lamp may be opened or closed, thecontact carrier 2 is movably mounted within the shell preferably to turntherein, the free end of the spring 18 projecting Within an elongatedchannel 20 formed in and transversely of the carrier 2. ln the drawing'the width of this channel is somewhat exaggerated in order to make theconstruction more clear, the channel co-operating with. the spring tomaintain the contact carrier 2 in its zone of rotation. When theconstruction is embodied in a single pole arrangement the channel 2O ismade suciently deep to expose the conductor 15 so that it may be engagedby the free end of the contact spring 18 when the contact carrier 2 isturned to circuit closing position, the conductor ,15 vbeing removedfrom engagement with said contact spring when the contact carrier 2 isgiven a reverse movement, to open the cir' cuit.

'llhe channel 20 is of such length and the spring 18 is so flexed andshaped that the contact carrier 2 will be held by the spring in eitherof the positions to which the contact carrier is turned.

A handle 21 is coupled with the contact carrier 2 and projects through aslot 22 formed transversely in the shell 1. By

. means of this handle suitable turning movements of the contact carriermay be effected. 'llhe slot 22 is provided with an enlargement 23through which the larger inner end of the handle 21 may be passed inassembling the handle with the contact carrier 2, as set forth in myco-pending application Serial No. 458,555, filed Apr. 4, 1921.

A. connecting plug 24, carrying plug terminals 25 and 26, may beinserted through an opening in the side of the shell 1, the plugterminals 25, 26 entering lateral openings in the conductors 12 and 15,also as set forth in my said co-pending application. As shown, the plugterminals 25, 26 become elec- Maasai trically connected with therearwardly spring pressed contacts 27 and 28 that are carried by and arein electrical connection with the conductors 12 and 15. By thisarrangement the same Wires 13 and 16 by which current is supplied to thelamp may also serve to supply current to any translating device which isconnected with the plug terminals 25 and 26. 'llhe opening in the shell1 through which the plug 24 is passed is so related to the contactcarrier 2 that this Contact carrier is held in a circuit closingposition when the plug 24 is in position, it being necessary to removesaid plug when the contact carrier 2 is returned to a circuit openingposition. This characteristic also forms the subject matter of myaforesaid copending application.

The spring 18 is preferably separately formed from the shell 1 althoughthe invention is not to be thus restricted.

lln the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5 the contact carrier2 is to be confined to its plane of rotation by the handle 21, thecontact spring 29 that is electrically connected with the shell 1performing, in the structure of Fig. 5, the mere function of connectingthe conductor 15 with said shell. By turning the contact carrier 2 theconductor 15 is either brought into electrical connection with thecontact 29, as shown by full lines in Fig. 7, to close the circuit, oris brought out of engagement with such contact to open the circuit asindicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 7.

1n the. construction of Fig. 6 the conductor 30 that is electricallyconnected with the shell 1 in lieu of the spring 18 or the contact 29need not be in the nature 'of a spring as, in the construction of Fig.6, there is a forwardly spring pressed contact 31 that is electricallyconnected with the conductor 15 whereby this conductor is brought intoelectrical connection with the shell 1. By turning the contact carrier 2in the structure of Fig. 6 the conductor 15 isy either brought intoelectrical connection with the contact 30, as shown in full lines inFig. 8, to close the circuit, or is brought out of engagement with suchcontact toopen the circuit as indicated in dotand dash lines in Fig. 8.

'While l have herein shown and particularly described the preferredembodiment of my invention ll do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction shown as changes may readily be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention,

but having thus described my invention ll claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent the following 1. A circuit continuing deviceincluding a shell; a contact carrier Within said shell; a contact uponand accessible at a side of said carrier; and a spring upon said shelland engaging a side of the carrier to hold lll@ it in the position towhich it is moved, said contact being positioned to be engageable withsaid spring and said carrier being movable to bring the contact thereoninto and out of engagement with said spring. f

2. A circuit continuing device including a shell; a contact carrierWithin said shell; a contact upon and accessible at a side of saidcarrier; and a contact upon said shell,-

said contacts being positioned to be engageable and separable and saidcarrier being movable to bring the contacts into and out of engagement.

3. A circuit continuing device including a shell; a contact carrierWithin said shell; a contact upon and accessible at a side' of saidcarrier; and a spring upon said'shell in the zone of the aforesaidcontact and engaging a side of the carrier to hold it in the position towhich itis moved, said contact being 20 positioned to be engageable withsaid spring and said carrier being mounted to' turn to bring the contactthereon into and out of engagement with said spring.

4. A circuit continuing device including -25 contacts being positioned'to be engageable and separable and said carrier being mounted to turn tobring the contacts into and out of engagement.-

In Witness 'whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 30th day' ofMarch, 35

HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

